F-150 Question

[akroyd]

Excuse my newbie lack of knowledge and terminology. I am considering the purchase of a 25 Safari to replace an older 22 foot Sovereign. My TV is a 2007 F-150 with a 5.4 engine, 144.5 wheel base and 3.73 whatever that other thing is. Towing the 22 is like it isn't even there except on really steep mountain roads. Am I making a mistake safety and longevity wise to try to use my existing TV with the larger trailer. I am trying to understand all the numbers but some of it is Greek to me. My TV is "rated" to tow 9300 lbs and I believe the 25 Safari is about 7300 lbs. Is that cutting it too close. In a perfect world I would have an F-250 for towing but I really don't want one for the other 90% of my vehicle use. I appreciate your indulgence.

[fmr.capt.evi]

Hi akroyd, as long as you use a weight distributing hitch, and don't overload either vehicle, you'll be fine.

[50KIP]

I too have a Ford F-150, a 2006 with 5.4 engine, and it tows my 3700-lbs 19' AS just fine. At other times I tow a 16' (bed length) utility trailer that weighs about 2000 lbs. When loaded with 2 tons of grapes it really struggles up I-83 from Yakima to Ellensburg and then on I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass. Since this is quite a bit less (3/4 ton) than your proposed combo I don't think you would have enough power with your F-150 for the Safari. And let's face it, you can't escape the Pacific Northwest without taking on some pretty hefty mountain passes.

[jm2]

Originally Posted by akroyd

My TV is "rated" to tow 9300 lbs and I believe the 25 Safari is about 7300 lbs. Is that cutting it too close. In a perfect world I would have an F-250 for towing but I really don't want one for the other 90% of my vehicle use. I appreciate your indulgence.

no indulgences required! imho, an F-250 would be fine, too, but not necessary.

we towed our 2002 Safari 25C (6800 GVWR) for two years with a 2008 F150 Supercab 4x4 without issue from Madawaska, ME to the Blue Ridge Parkway in southwestern VA. the towing and payload ratings on our 2008 were the same or very close to your 2007.

previously we've pulled two vintage 31's that weighed in about the same as our 2002, also without issue.

I don't believe that you will have any real problem with the combination you are considering, unless you're spending most of your days on steep mountainous grades.

ymmv.

[Sodbust]

Here is my view,.. Most of us,, tend to over look that cast iron frying pan,, the complete tool set we carry around with us and don't forget the extra pots and pans,, dishes and the hidden camping gear we carry along... and never use.

As I have been working on my Airstream I can see the effort they made to keep things light.. So why do we undo all that was done to start with by hauling along whatever we can find room for..? Or worst storage for items that cant find a home anywhere else?

I guess what I'm saying here is as you transfer from the old trailer to the new one,, keep in mind every ounce counts towards another pound. I bet most trailers can shed 500 lbs of gear we never use.. So the larger trailer would scale about the same as your old one with all the unneeded items..

As we emptied out our SOB into the Overlander,, we picked the lighter dishes,, got rid of pots and pans we never used,, and when done saved right at 700 lbs.. just to start with.. Since the SOB was empty for winter storage as we pack for trips we will also keep in mind what do we need,, and what we don't..

Trust me,, if it was an airplane we would look at stuff differant..

Sodbust

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by akroyd

Excuse my newbie lack of knowledge and terminology. I am considering the purchase of a 25 Safari to replace an older 22 foot Sovereign. My TV is a 2007 F-150 with a 5.4 engine, 144.5 wheel base and 3.73 whatever that other thing is. Towing the 22 is like it isn't even there except on really steep mountain roads. Am I making a mistake safety and longevity wise to try to use my existing TV with the larger trailer. I am trying to understand all the numbers but some of it is Greek to me. My TV is "rated" to tow 9300 lbs and I believe the 25 Safari is about 7300 lbs. Is that cutting it too close. In a perfect world I would have an F-250 for towing but I really don't want one for the other 90% of my vehicle use. I appreciate your indulgence.

Hi, I have been towing a 6,300 lb GVWR 25' Safari with my Lincoln for over seven years. Lincoln has 5.4 L V-8 3:73 gears and 4 speed transmission. Lincoln is tow rated at 8,900 lbs. Your advantage over mine is a longer wheel base. You will do just fine with your F-150 but you will wish you had more horsepower and/or a six speed transmission, if and when, you cross the Colorado Rockies. I have been over them, so I know.

[akroyd]

Thank you, I really appreciate your responses. You folks are very gracious towards those of us who count ourselves among the RV info challenged. Looks like I got 3 positive responses, a definite no and a reason not to bring 3 pressure cookers and a spare anvil. I think I will give it a go. I just hope I don't break my only anvil.

[DMT]

I tow a 27FB with an 09 F150. No issues but you have to watch how much you put in the bed of the truck. It's easy to go over the maximum weight restriction as the trailer tongue weight uses up most of the available limit.

Don

[Aviator]

I tow a 34 with a 2009 F150. I haven't had any issue in and around the Smoky Mountains and North Georgia.

[Globie64]

I find my anvil to be of great use whenever we camp. Actually, I unload our trailer and reload it when we go out, because I get grossed out when the odd mouse gets in the trailer. That said, everything (dishes, pots, flatware, decorative items) all fit into two 18 x 42 canvas totes, originally for carrying firewood. It's handy for storing stuff in the garage, and I can carry one tote in each hand loading and unloading. I can't imagine that they weigh 100 pound combined. We have dishes, glasses, mugs, and all manner of cookware, pots and pans, my mom's old Corningware, a bunch of her All Clad and some cast iron pieces. Having to carry everything in and out of the trailer has incentivized me to pare down what we take with us when we go.

[mefly2]

I guess that it depends if you want to be possibly over-trucked vs under-trucked and can fit a 3/4 T into your budget. Our 5.4 triton was not able to maintain speed up our mountain passes ... resulting in folks making not necessarily safe passes to get around us. As well, we were over working the tansmission according to aux trans temp guage. So, we went with a torquier diesel 3/4 and have been quite happy. We had an 05 F150 which was fine pulling a 19' Chalet ... then on the edge with a 21' Surveyor, and could not maintain 50 mph uphill for us with the FC20. Any highway speed under 50 on most roads around here gets folks very anxious to blow you off the road. The 3/4 has other benefits like larger brakes, tow/haul mode, and exhaust brake. You don't even know that the AS is behind the 3/4 diesel. YMMV. You will find many folks very happy pulling all over the place with mid-sized SUVs; unfortunately my life experiences don't allow us that luxury.

[JFScheck]

Over trucked, under trucked - not enough motor, too much suspension....

It is good that we have these discussions for the new folks - but it might be advantageous to all for new folks to conduct a quick search as there is some great info on this board, and folks who have replied once or twice in the past may no longer be responding to such postings....

[Gene]

Akroyd, it sounds like if you have some difficulty pulling the Sovereign up steep grades, you will have more with a Safari. If you are patient, downshift and don't worry about the people behind you, you will make it. Lots of people tow with the same truck you have and are ok with it.

That 3.73 "whatever" refers to the gear ratio in the rear differential. The higher the number, the more torque and lower gas mileage. I don't know if there is a gear package for your truck that will increase the ratio, but you would solve one problem and create another if you changed it. The new EcoBoost is an alternative and the people that bought them are happy, but others wonder if the engine will hold up over a long time. Our 1/2 ton truck has a 4.11 rear end, 5.7 L engine and crummy gas mileage, but it tows effortlessly.

Try your truck and see how it works for you. It is not hard to buy a new one if you decide later to do so.

Gene